Martin Endjala
The Capricorn Group, through collaboration between the Capricorn Foundation and Bank Windhoek, donated a total of N$500 000 to the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism towards Namibia’s participation and pavilion at the Conference of Parties (COP28) conference which will be held from 30 November 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
This is the second year that Capricorn Group, Capricorn Foundation, and Bank Windhoek have donated towards Namibia’s participation at COP28.
Ruan Bestbier, Capricorn Group Head of Sustainability said the pivotal sponsorship of the Namibian Pavilion at COP28 is more than a financial commitment or supporting a climate change event.
He said it is an investment in creating a platform for Namibians to continue to engage with key global stakeholders whilst catalysing a deliberate movement to drive collaborative action between the public and private sectors to forge a path towards a more sustainable and resilient Namibian economy and world.
“Our continued support and presence at COP28 signify our commitment to playing a critical role in creating a legacy of positive change that will echo through generations,” said Bestbier.
Capricorn Foundation and Bank Windhoek have selected a party of delegates to represent the Group at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
The Group’s participation in the conference is to leverage the Group as an organisation that supports sustainable practices while providing sustainability financing solutions to benefit its stakeholders and the socio-economic development of its operating regions.
The Capricorn Foundation has sustainability as one of its focus areas and championed food security through the launch of the Capricorn Foundation Food Waste Challenge, which, now in its second year, has become the signature project of the Foundation.
Marlize Horn, the Group Executive Officer said she was thrilled to be one of the groups at COP28 to present a case study on its Food Waste Challenge and to build a network with like-minded international organisations.
This will be the 28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference since the first United Nations Climate Agreement in 1992.
Governments use this conference to agree on policies to limit global temperature rises and adapt to impacts associated with climate change.
The UAE is one of the most vulnerable to climate change countries in the world, located in a region with a scorching and humid climate.
Rising temperatures are said to be already severely impacting the population’s daily life, increasing payments for electricity and water making it difficult to walk in the street.
Meanwhile, generous sponsorships from prominent Namibian entities, also included the Namibia Agronomic Board (N$600,000), RMB Namibia (N$200,000), Ninety-One Namibia (N$100,000), Climate Fund Managers (N$100,000), NASRIA (N$50,000), Standard Bank Namibia (N$50,000), NamibRe (N$50,000), United Nation Developmental Plan (N$20,000), and Cranmore Partners (N$182,943) to make Namibia’s pavilion a reality.
The collective sponsorship, totalling N$1.8 million, underscores the commitment to support the pavilion at COP28.
Environmental Commissioner Timoteus Mufeti, emphasised the pavilion’s vital role as a dynamic hub for knowledge exchange, fostering collaborations, showcasing innovative solutions, and leveraging COP28 as a robust climate change negotiation platform for Namibia.
